BALTIMORE (AP) David Hess pitched six effective innings in his big league debut, Jonathan Schoop hit two home runs and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-3 Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader.
Manny Machado also homered for the Orioles, who shook off an early deficit to extend their winning streak to four games – their longest run since last August.
Recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to serve as the 26th man in the single-admission doubleheader, Hess (1-0) gave up three runs and six hits, walking none and striking out three.
Pitching on just three days’ rest, the 2014 fifth-round draft pick struggled at the outset before closing with five innings of two-hit ball.
Mychal Givens worked 1 2/3 innings for his first save.
Matt Duffy hit a three-run homer for the Rays, who have scored only 10 runs during a five-game losing streak.
Chris Archer (2-3) went seven innings, allowing six runs and seven hits – including a season-high three homers.
Before the game, Orioles manager Buck Showalter expressed hope that the 24-year-old Hess would get off to a solid start in the biggest game of his baseball career.
”If I could wish one thing for him, it’s get through the first inning clean and kind of get his feet on the ground,” Showalter said.
Unfortunately for Hess, the opposite occurred. With one out, C.J. Cron and Joey Wendle hit successive singles and Duffy drove a pitch over the center-field wall.
Hess settled down after that, perhaps earning himself a longer stay with the big league club.
Schoop homered leading off the second, and Chance Sisco hit an RBI double before scoring on the front end of a double steal.
In the fourth, Machado hit his 13th home run and his fourth in three games, tying Boston’s Mookie Betts for the most in the majors. Schoop hit the next pitch for a 5-3 lead.
The game was the makeup of a rainout on April 24.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Royals: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (elbow) will throw a bullpen session on Tuesday, manager Kevin Cash said.
Orioles: DH Pedro Alvarez was held out with a hamstring strain, an injury sustained Thursday night. … INF Engelb Vielma will have surgery to repair a fractured kneecap on Tuesday. The injury occurred in a minor league game when he tripped over the mound chasing a foul ball down the right-field line. … OF Colby Rasmus (hip) may soon be ready for a rehab assignment.
TWO-WAY THREAT
Brendan McKay, a two-way prospect with the Rays, has been promoted from low Class A to high Class A. The 22-year-old 1B/LHP will move from Bowling Green to Charlotte on Monday.
Selected fourth overall in the 2017 MLB draft, McKay was batting .254 with 16 RBIs through 21 games, and was 2-0 with a 1.09 ERA.
”It would be fair to say there are a lot of people in the organization who are very excited about him,” Cash said.
UP NEXT
Rays: RHP Matt Andriese (0-1, 3.92 ERA) was slated to start Game 2.
Orioles: RHP Alex Cobb (0-4, 7.61 ERA) was poised to get a second crack at his former team in the nightcap. He lost 8-4 to the Rays on April 25.
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